Tire with cellular member and sensor

Abstract

A tire, cellular member, and sensor combination includes a tire. The tire includes a pair of sidewalls, a circumferential tread, in which the pair of sidewalls extends to the tread, and an innerliner. A cellular member is disposed on the innerliner and is formed with a sensor opening. A sensor is disposed in the sensor opening and is affixed to the innerliner.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A tire, cellular member, and sensor combination, the combination comprising:
 a tire, the tire including:
 a pair of sidewalls; 
 a circumferential tread, the pair of sidewalls extending to the tread; and 
 an innerliner; 
   a cellular member, the cellular member being disposed on the innerliner and being formed with a sensor opening; and   a sensor, the sensor being disposed in the sensor opening and being affixed to the innerliner.   
     
     
         2 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 1 , wherein the cellular member is formed as a circumferentially-extending ring. 
     
     
         3 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 1 , wherein the cellular member is formed of open-cell foam. 
     
     
         4 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 3 , wherein the cellular member is formed of a strip of polyurethane foam. 
     
     
         5 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 1 , wherein the cellular member is attached to the innerliner with an adhesive. 
     
     
         6 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is directly attached to the innerliner. 
     
     
         7 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed in a sensor container. 
     
     
         8 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 7 , wherein the sensor container is formed of an elastomer. 
     
     
         9 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 7 , wherein the sensor container is attached to the innerliner with an adhesive. 
     
     
         10 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor opening is formed as a closed-wall geometric shape. 
     
     
         11 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 10 , wherein the sensor opening is circular. 
     
     
         12 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 10 , wherein the sensor opening includes a diameter that is smaller than a minimum axial width of the cellular member. 
     
     
         13 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 12 , wherein the diameter of the sensor opening is near the size of the sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 12 , wherein the diameter of the sensor opening is larger than the sensor. 
     
     
         15 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 12 , wherein the sensor diameter of the sensor opening is near the size of the sensor container. 
     
     
         16 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 12 , wherein the diameter of the sensor opening is larger than a sensor container. 
     
     
         17 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor opening extends through an entire radial thickness of the cellular member. 
     
     
         18 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 17 , wherein the sensor opening extends between a tire cavity and the innerliner. 
     
     
         19 . The tire, cellular member, and sensor combination of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a tire pressure monitoring system sensor.